Small Grants, Big Impact

A year after the most recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, humanitarian needs persist in Azerbaijan’s conflict-affected districts. IOM Azerbaijan is addressing crucial humanitarian needs and building resilience of vulnerable populations through the provision of cash assistance for a total of 1,500 households, under an EU-funded project.

One beneficiary is 44-year-old Oruj lives in Xındıristan village in Agdam, Azerbaijan, which was close to the frontline of the conflict in 2020. His wife and four children went to Berde and stayed there until it was safe to return, while Oruj stayed in the village to take care of the family’s animals.

His 20-year-old son Tural has a problem with his hip bone and needs constant medical attention. Oruj works as an agricultural worker, but job opportunities are limited in winter. During the conflict, agricultural work was interrupted since most of the fields were hit by shelling. The family faced severe financial difficulties and reached a point where they could no longer cover Tural’s medical expenses.

“The war had a negative impact on our income”, laments Oruj. “I wouldn’t have been able to cover my son’s medical bills without the cash assistance provided by IOM. It came at a time where our situation was straitened, and it assisted us enormously.”

The family received EU-funded IOM cash assistance twice. “Only God knows how difficult the situation was for me at that time, and this assistance came as a big relief,” says Oruj. He says all he wants is a better life for his children, but they still face many challenges. He hopes to get back on his feet as soon as possible and says he will always remember how timely and helpful this cash assistance was for him and his family.

Tural had to drop out school due to his health condition. His eldest sister still attends high school, and her family is proud of her dedication and talent. Oruj says: “Despite the difficulties of the war and the pandemic, she continued her education, and I hope she will succeed.”